Quick References

Definition of ECE

Advantages of the weekly prenatal and baby class

Why listen in the early years

The Suzuki ECE concepts

Goals
Create an environment, free from pressure in which children can develop skills, a sense of purpose in life, an understanding of discipline and an appreciation of beauty.
Based on the Suzuki concept Mother Tongue Approach, the Suzuki Early Childhood educator believes the following statements:

Every child can learn
Ability develops early
Environment nurtures growth
Children learn from one another
Success breeds success
Parental involvement is critical
Encouragement is essential

Prenatal and Baby Years

Parent and child (age 0-3) participate in a weekly interactive music class. Parents enjoy watching their babies develop rhythmic and melodic awareness, memory and social skills. Teachers work with parents to build a repertoire of lullabies, action songs and nursery rhymes. Parents are encouraged to use the Curriculum CD at home and to repeat the songs and rhymes daily.

Parents become expert observers of their own children. Children watch the actions of the parent and gradually begin to imitate them. This process is one to be enjoyed and celebrated as each new development is observed --[just as you do when your baby utters those first few words].

The outcomes of these activities include increased vocabulary, socially acceptable behavior and sensitive group participation at an early age. The most important skill for children at an early age is the ability to listen.

PRENATAL LISTENING

Listening was long thought to be of no benefit for infants in the womb. Studies today abound - extolling the benefits of such listening for both the parent and the child. Suzuki recognized the importance of prenatal listening and advocated playing classical music for the unborn fetus. He had observed that children who listen daily to one piece of music before birth, recognized it as their own music after birth.

Scientists today have shown that babies are born with a predilection for their parents' voice over others in a room. They recognize the sound and turn toward their own parent's voices a few hours after birth.

Recommended
Strategies

Begin early
Before the child is born, the fetus can hear voices and learns to distinguish sounds. The ear is the first organ to fully develop.

Create an Environment for Learning
The child learns through the senses and is off to a very fast start at birth. Sounds, physical comfort and visual stimulation shape the development.

Begin with one simple skill
Stay with this skill until it is thoroughy mastered.

Add one new idea at a time
Each new idea is a challenge, that when mastered will lead to successful understanding of the child's environment.

Remember--
Parents are a child's first and most important teacher

Mixed Age Groups work best!
Older children learn sensitivity and the opporutnity to model for younger children while younger children develop skills more quickly and securely with the older children as models.